The acclaimed author, who died Wednesday morning at the age of 86, touched the lives of many through her work, which included the groundbreaking memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and decades of political activism.

But of all of Angelou's varied accomplishments, it was likely her poetry that earned the writer her youngest fans. Simple, lyrical and emphatic, Angelou's verses were as easy to learn as they were hard to forget.

To honor Angelou's memory, let's look at her work as filtered through the joy and self-assurance of a younger generation.